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A information to the best way to get to Palenque in Chiapas, Mexico – and the best way to go to the Mayan ruins within the Palenque Archeological Zone…
One of many largest Mayan websites in Mexico, however far much less recognized than Chichen Itza, the ruins at Palenque are an unbelievable sight.
This was an enormous Mayan metropolis from round 200BC to 800AD. After it was deserted, the town was overtaken by the jungle – and in the present day solely about 3% of the buildings have been excavated. The remainder stay misplaced to the jungle, overgrown by towering sequoias and tangled vines, their mossy partitions mixing into the bottom.
For these in search of Mayan ruins with fewer crowds than Chichen Itza and Tulum, the Palenque ruins are a must-visit. The fashionable-day city of the identical title can be a great jumping-off level for evocative jungle adventures, waterfall excursions, and exploring Chiapas state.
However getting there generally is a little bit of a problem! Palenque is tucked away within the nook of Chiapas, not removed from the Guatemalan border, and it’s probably not close to some other main vacationer hubs.
So, I’ve outlined the finest methods to get to Palenque – in addition to the best way to get to the Archeological Zone ruins (with or and not using a tour information) and a few suggestions for visiting them.
Don’t wish to learn the entire information? Use the desk of contents under to leap straight to the part you want! Buen viaje…
Methods to Get to Palenque (the City)
The closest airport to Palenque is Villahermosa in neighbouring Tabasco state. From there, it’s a couple of two-hour drive or 2.5 hours by bus to Palenque.
You can even fly into Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of Chiapas state. That is round a 6-hour drive to Palenque (7 hours by bus), however you may all the time cease off on the lovely mountain city of San Cristobal de las Casa alongside the best way.
FYI – driving in some components of Chiapas isn’t all the time protected as a result of an ongoing battle between some native indigenous teams and the Mexican authorities. I’ll share extra particulars on the finish of this weblog put up.
ADO run a number of buses a day to Palenque from Villahermosa (ranging from $110 MXN). From Tuxtla, OCC (a associate firm of ADO) run a number of buses every day to Palenque, together with in a single day buses. These take about 7 hours and price round $380 MXN.
From Cancun
Getting from Cancun to Palenque by bus takes 13 to 14 hours, so it’s not a simple journey. You may take an in a single day bus and journey the complete distance in a single go.
In the event you desire to interrupt the journey up, you may cease in Campeche for a day or two. It’s 7-8 hours to Campeche, then 6 hours from Campeche to Palenque. You can additionally cease in Merida or Valladolid on the best way to Campeche to interrupt the journey up even additional.
From Merida
From Merida to Palenque is about 9 hours by bus. ADO run each a day and an evening bus (round $950 MXN) so you may select whichever fits your schedule finest.
From San Cristobal de las Casas
The highway between San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque is recognized to have frequent blockades (see the part on driving in Chiapas on the finish of this put up).
Both because of this, or just because it’s such a winding mountain highway, the ADO buses go the good distance spherical (by way of Tuxtla Gutierrez and Villahermosa) – leading to a 9+ hour bus trip.
A significantly better different is to ebook a personal switch or a tour that features a switch. Many native firms supply a waterfalls tour which features a switch from San Cristobal to Palenque (or vice versa). That is what I did (click on right here for the tour I booked) and it was a good way to journey between the 2 cities.
Value noting: after the waterfalls tour, we have been transferred onto one other bus for the journey to San Cristobal. A police escort guarded us whereas we swapped! It was just a little unnerving to know this was obligatory, however good to know that the authorities are taking good care of vacationers.
Visiting Palenque Ruins with a Tour
Most individuals who head to Palenque are there to go to the traditional Mayan ruins on the Zona Arqueologica de Palenque (Archeological Zone). These are throughout the Palenque Nationwide Park simply exterior of city, a couple of 20-minute drive from the centre.
You may drive there your self, or take a cab or public transport (extra on that under). However in the event you’re the sort of one that prefers becoming a member of an organised tour, there are many choices. Pop into one of many tour firm workplaces within the vacationer space, or ebook considered one of these excursions on-line:
Methods to Get to Palenque Ruins
Don’t fancy a tour? It’s VERY straightforward to go to Palenque Ruins your self utilizing public transport.
You may rent a information while you get to the park entrance, or just discover the ruins alone. Right here’s the best way to go to Palenque Archaeological Zone…
- Take a colectivo (minibuses that run a public transport service) to the ruins. These depart from instantly exterior the ADO bus station and often have an indication within the window that claims “Ruinas” (ruins). The payment is 20 MXN per individual – attempt to have the change prepared.
- The colectivo will drop you on the ticket workplace so you may pay your entry payment. As of January 2023, the associated fee was 104 MXN to enter the Nationwide Park, plus 90 MXN to enter the ruins.
- FYI – the Museo de Sitio de Palenque is right here on the ticket workplace. You may go to it earlier than or after you discover the ruins.
- If it waited, hop again on the colectivo to get to the precise entrance to the ruins. You can even stroll – it’s about 1km from the ticket workplace to the ruins following the highway.
- Present your ticket and enter the Palenque Ruins. You may rent a information in the event you like (see under), or discover at your personal leisure.
- When you’re executed exploring, take the Motiepá path by means of the forest again down in direction of the ticket workplace and Museum. This path will take you thru the jungle and previous a reasonably waterfall.
- Take a colectivo again to Palenque city centre.
Meals, services and bogs at Palenque Ruins
There are loads of distributors and few completely different meals stalls in entrance of the doorway to the ruins. I like to recommend bringing some snacks with you as the costs will usually be increased throughout the Archaeological Zone.
Contained in the ruins, I noticed distributors promoting souvenirs and so on, however no meals or drinks. So make sure you purchase water earlier than coming into.
There are a number of bogs inside Palenque Archeological Zone. You’ll discover them on the ticket workplace (these are the nicest), in addition to simply earlier than the doorway to the ruins, and throughout the ruins web site itself.
What to take to the ruins
- Loads of water!
- Mosquito repellent is VITAL – the ruins are surrounded by forest and the mozzies right here aren’t any joke!
- Suncream, sunhat and so on.
- Put on free, comfortable clothes and attempt to maintain coated – the solar may be fairly fierce!
- Trainers/sneakers or sturdy strolling sandals are a good suggestion. Though there are paths all through the primary Archeological Zone web site, it’s a big space and also you’ll be strolling lots. Plus, you may climb a number of the pyramids (that are uneven stone steps) – and in the event you head into the jungle the paths may be muddy.
Do I would like a information for Palenque?
A LOT of guides will give you their companies, each on the ticket workplace and park entrance. Having one may be useful if you need a extra in-depth historical past of the ruins and a few information about how the Mayans lived, however it’s not important.
The Zona Archeologica is nicely signposted, there’s a map on the entrance and a path main across the web site. There are indicators in English and Spanish in any respect the pyramids and temples, so that you’ll get a reasonably good overview of what you’re taking a look at. And you may be taught much more on the Museum earlier than or after you go to the ruins.
How a lot do guides value?
In the event you do need a information, it’s value noting that you just pay one worth for the information reasonably than per individual. So if there are a number of of you you may break up the associated fee. In the event you’re visiting Palenque solo it really works out costlier, however you might discover another solo travellers who wish to crew up.
The official costs for guided excursions are marketed as 1300 for the “tour corto” (quick tour – simply exploring the primary space) and 2600mxn for the “tour largo” (the lengthy tour, which additionally encompasses a quick stroll by means of the close by jungle). You may typically haggle these costs down, particularly on quieter days. The perfect worth we have been capable of get supplied was 1300mxn for the lengthy tour.
The Palenque “jungle tour”
The “jungle tour” is an add on to the primary tour, and reasonably an costly one for what you get. Some guides may also give you simply the jungle tour, with out the ruins, for a less expensive worth – which is what I ended up doing.
In equity, the tour was fairly cool. Nevertheless it was mainly a brief, one hour stroll within the jungle near the doorway to the ruins. We noticed traces of moss-covered partitions belonging to un-excavated ruins, towering timber, jungle crops and howler monkeys.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t fairly as thrilling because the information made it sound when he pitched it to us. Plus, you may truly enter the jungle your self on the Motiepá Path – and we noticed howler monkeys within the automotive park exterior the Archeological Zone. On steadiness, I’d say you may in all probability skip the jungle tour.
Is Driving in Chiapas Secure?
As talked about above, a number of the roads in Chiapas state are thought-about to be unsafe. Most notably, the highway between San Cristobal de las Casas and Palenque.
Many will advise you to take the freeway by way of Villahermosa – it appears like an extended manner round on the map, however is definitely about the identical drive time because the winding mountain highway.
On the entire, Chiapas is a protected state and highly regarded with vacationers – so I don’t need the next to place you off visiting! However in the event you’re planning a highway journey in Mexico, it’s value being conscious of the scenario.
There may be an ongoing battle inside Chiapas between a neighborhood group combating for indigenous individuals’s rights – often known as Zapatistas – and the Mexican authorities.
Inside Chiapas, there are a number of autonomous territories, known as Insurgent Zapatista Autonomous Municipalities. The area’s autonomy isn’t recognised by the federal government, so tensions may be excessive at occasions.
Though there may be presently no energetic battle, there have been situations of protests and blockades alongside the highway between Palenque and San Cristobal. I’ve additionally heard stories of locals placing a rope throughout the highway and never letting automobiles move till they purchase one thing or hand over some money.
Public buses take the longer freeway highway between the 2 cities (by way of Villahermosa), whereas personal transfers that take the mountain highway appear to have safety from the native police pressure. I took a personal switch right here just lately and we had an armed police guard whereas we modified buses after our tour! My good friend travelled a few days earlier than and instructed us she had a police escort for a part of the journey.
In the event you do drive, solely journey through the day. It’s a good suggestion to have some $100 MXN notes prepared in case you encounter a blockade.
Extra on Palenque and close by
I hope you discovered this information on the best way to get to Palenque and the Archaeological Zone ruins useful. Acquired a query? Scroll down and depart me a remark – I’ll attempt to assist if I can!
